No Need for Love
by in2madness
Summary: Shishido never needed a girlfriend. He never wanted a girlfriend. That, however, may change upon the arrival of a girl from England. Shishido X OC Rated T for language later on.
1. Enter Isabel

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis things but I think I somewhat own the OC. **

**'English'**

**"Japanese"**

**Reviews greatly appreciated even if you slaughter my piece. **

**Kthnxbye. **

Enter Isabel (chapter one)

"Coach Sakaki, you have a niece?"

"Yes, I do," he said boringly, "is it truely that surprising for you boys to understand?"

The Hyotei regulars looked at the meek girl standing next to their coach. When she felt all the stares directed at her, she blushed and stepped behind her uncle. She definitely looked like she could be his niece, if only she was less timid. She wore a rich cream flannel over a black t-shirt and dark jeans that covered the top half of her tennis shoes. Her hair was put up in a high ponytail that ended near her shoulders. She tapped her uncle's shoulder and he turned to her. He leaned in closer to her so she could whisper whatever she needed into his ear.

"Yes, I believe Atobe-san over there speaks English."

Atobe raised an eyebrow and looked over to the girl. 'Are you from America?'

The girl looked surprised as she shook her head. 'I'm from England actually. Can I suppose you are too?'

Atobe smirked and took a single step forward, causing his coach to step closer to the girl.

'You would be correct. My name is Atobe Keigo, or Keigo Atobe, since we aren't speaking Japanese right now, I guess.'

'Hello! My name is Isabel Sakaki.' The girl put her arm out and they shook hands.

"Atobe, can I assume that you can take care of her while she tries to learn Japanese?" Coach Sakaki asked. "She'll be attending Hyotei and she's a third year. I don't want her to be completely lost in a place where she can't even speak the native language fluently."

"Of course, Coach, but I can't assure you that I'm in any of her classes."

"Oshitari, do you think you can help a bit too?"

"Yes, Coach. I'll help in whatever way I can."

Nodding, he sent the regulars back to practice and Isabel sat on the benches to observe. She watched but without any actual interest. Her eyes roamed over all the games until she found one that was slightly more entertaining than the rest.

Shishido was playing against Oshitari.

She leaned forward and watched with the same bored expression she held when the matches just started. Her hands folded in front of her face as she concentrated.

"Shishido Ryo vs. Oshitari Yuushi. Shishido to serve."

Shishido threw the ball into the air and sent a fast serve over to Oshitari. It bounced once before it was returned right at the corner of the court.

'Isabel, who do you think is going to win?' Coach Sakaki asked.

'Quite honestly,' Isabel stated, 'all of us know that Oshitari will win. Even the boy named Shishido. It's wonderful that he still tries, even knowing that he will lose. None if the girls back home would even try to do that.'

Coach Sakaki nodded and turned their attention to the next court. 'And that one, dear?"

He motioned over to Jirou and Chotaro's match and Isabel watched. Her initial reaction wasn't something Coach Sakaki could've entirely expected.

'That second year... Chotarou was it?... He's adorable.'

The coach turned to his niece with a shocked expression written noticeably on his face. 'Excuse me?'

Isabel giggled. 'Sorry, you didn't ask my opinion about the boys, just the match.' She put her serious expression back on and observed the match in front of her. 'Jirou... is he half asleep?' After receiving a conformational nod from her uncle, she continued. 'Jirou is still quite good considering he is practically sleeping right now. That second year's serve is also pretty cool, but it won't help him win the game.'

Her gaze fell upon Gakuto, who was currently jumping until he was eye to eye with the referee. He was waiting for his match against Shishido or Oshitari.

Kabaji and Atobe stood off to the side to watch. Atobe was smirking at some if Jirou's antics and Kabaji kept the same unreadable expression on his face.

'Well, I guess that's all you have to worry about today,' Coach Sakaki said, 'You should go back home.'

Isabel put on the cutest face she could and looked up at him. 'Can you drive me back? Please?'

Coach Sakaki sighed. 'Fine, but then you're staying for the rest of practice.'

Although upset about having to stay and watch boring matches go on and on, Isabel was happy that she would get to drive back with her uncle. Walking alone just didn't suit her.

She wasn't ready to be alone yet.


	2. Hide Me!

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis things. I own Isabel I guess… Sorry for any OOC things that are more than likely to happen.**

**Reviews greatly appreciated and please be completely honest with me.**

**Love you all! Kthnxbye**

Hide Me! [Chapter 2]

Shishido and Chotarou were having lunch on the rooftop of Hyotei, like always. He took a bite out of a cheese sandwich and looked up to the sky. Chotarou ate silently beside him and read from a music anthology his mother bought him a while ago. Shishido finished up his sandwich and turned over to his friend, who was still engulfed in the anthology.

"Ne, Chotarou," he said, "I'm going down to practice tennis."

"Hmm? Oh yeah, okay," Chotarou responded still eating his lunch. "Can I meet up with you when I'm done here?"

Shishido nodded and left the rooftop.

Chotarou continued eating while looking over sheet music. After a while Chotarou started to pack up to meet up with Shishido. He discarded any waste from his lunch and started for the door. He opened it and ran into someone. As he fell back he began a long string of apologies. He looked up to see his senpai, Oshitari, standing up and fixing his glasses.

"S-senpai! I am so sorry that I ran into you! Are you okay?"

Oshitari smirked at his kouhai who was still fumbling over words. "Chotarou, don't worry about it," he said, "I just came to see if Isabel is here."

Chotarou was silent for a moment. "Isabel?"

Nodding disappointedly, Oshitari explained, "I was supposed to watch after her for the lunch period since Atobe is doing school announcements. Unfortunately, she 'doesn't need anyone's help' and decided to slip away while I was buying lunch."

"Well, it was only Shishido and me up on the roof and I think I would've noticed if someone else came."

Oshitari nodded. Shishido was probably hitting tennis balls against the wall near the courts. He did that after lunch every day.

Now Oshitari had to look for Isabel elsewhere.

XXXXX

Shishido wasn't up to par. Not in his own eyes at least.

He had been hitting the tennis ball against the wall for a while and yet he couldn't get it up to the speed he needed it to be.

His form was spectacular. His willpower was formidable. His dedication was probably stronger than anyone else's.

And yet he couldn't get this stupid ball to go quick enough for him.

"Damn!"

With one powerful swing he hit the ball against the wall, leaving a crack that said very distinctively that he did it. The ball flew over to the side and into the trees.

Shishido, sighing, walked over to retrieve the ball.

"Shishido?"

Upon hearing his name, he turned over to see who was trying to speak to him.

"Oh, thank goodness it's you," the girl said. She walked up to him and Shishido recognized her as Coach Sakaki's niece.

"Sakaki-san?"

"Please, just call me Isabel," she said, "It's awkward hearing my last name."

Shishido was confused. "I thought you were still learning Japanese."

Isabel blushed. "Well, I don't want to speak Japanese around my uncle until it's perfect. You can still hear my accent, can't you?"

Shishido nodded hesitantly.

Isabel stiffened slightly, alarming him, and she turned.

"Is that Oshitari?" she asked, worry slipping into her voice. "Shishido, umm, could you please distract him while I try to get away?"

Shishido, while completely lost in the situation, nodded and walked over to where Isabel was looking. He emerged from the trees and found Chotarou and Oshitari walking towards his practice spot.

"Shishido!" his doubles partner called. "Oshitari-san wants to know if you've seen Sakaki-san."

Shishido wasn't entirely sure if he could actually play off the fact that he was talking to her just a little while ago, he was a terrible liar. He tried to look as natural as he could as he said, "Coach? No, I don't think so, why?"

Oshitari looked annoyed. "No, that sassy Isabel. Have you seen her?"

Shishido threw a quick and unnoticeable glance over Oshitari's shoulder. He saw Isabel, trying to walk silently away while also looking at him, pleading with her hands. "No, I haven't seen her; did you lose her or something?" Shishido tried to turn the conversation over, so he wouldn't have to lie any more.

Oshitari sighed. "Yes, I did."

Finally Isabel had slipped away.

"Chotarou, why don't we practice now?" Shishido said, finally feeling comfortable with conversation. "Sorry I couldn't help, Oshitari."

Shrugging, Oshitari said, "Not your fault. Anyway, I'll be looking for her. Continue your good work." He threw a glance over to the crack in the wall. "Try not to destroy the building, okay?"

Shishido grumbled a reply as Oshitari left in the opposite direction of Isabel.

"Ne, Shishido, is something wrong?"

Shishido was caught off guard by his partner's question. "No, why?"

"You seemed a little off while you were talking to Oshitari-san."

Shishido scoffed. "It's nothing, let's get back to practice."


	3. A Couple Questions

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis characters or things.**

**Please review? I'm okay with any form of criticism.**

**'English'**

**"Japanese"**

**So like yeah.**

**Kthnxbye.**

A Couple Questions [Chapter 3]

Isabel couldn't get rid of her stupid accent. It broke through no matter how hard she tried to suppress it. She must have practiced for hours in front of the mirror, but she just couldn't get her mouth to move the way she wanted it to.

'Damn it!' she cursed under her breath. 'I won't ever get to speak this language!'

'Isabel?'

She froze, sitting in front of her mirror. Had she even started any of her homework? 'Yes?'

'Are you okay in there?'

'Yes,' she said hesitantly.

Pause.

'May I come in?'

She looked around the room. She hadn't managed to get it too messy in the short while she was in Japan. A few boxes still laid around, holding her books, clothes, and anything else she needed from her house back in England. She just hoped it was clean enough so she wouldn't be scolded.

'Yes, you can come in.'

Her uncle entered cautiously, stepping over various books, pencils, and shirts that were being organized on the floor. He looked down at Isabel, who was sitting on the floor with various assignments spread around her. An open book caught his eyes. He recognized it as one of the Japanese learning guides that Isabel had focused much of her time on. Sighing, he walked over to the book and picked it up.

'Isabel, you shouldn't worry about this right now,' he said in slightly accented English. 'You can translate your homework on a laptop if you really need to. I don't want your grades to go down; I promised my brother you would do well in school.'

Isabel frowned slightly for a moment, and then quickly replaced it with a bright smile. 'Okay Uncle!'

He nodded and began out the door.

'Uncle?'

'Hmm?' He said, turning towards his niece.

'If I finish early, will you play tennis with me?'

He paused there. His brother never told him that Isabel played tennis. His brother never told him anything about Isabel. 'If you finish before sundown.'

Isabel smiled and picked up her math homework. She heard her door close and felt the loneliness set in. It was awfully empty in the room. She looked out the window.

'Before sundown, got it.'

XXXXX

"Coach Sakaki, where on earth did that come from?"

Most of the regulars were gathered around their coach, staring at a bruise on his forehead. He twitched once and walked over to a bench silently, where Isabel was sitting. She had a guilty look plastered on her face, but no one really wanted to ask her.

"Ne, Oshitari," Gakuto asked, "Can you ask Isabel what happened?"

Oshitari sighed, but he was curious too. He motioned for Isabel to come over, which she obeyed. 'What happened to coach?'

After a nervous laugh and a glance over to her uncle, she said, 'He was helping me move some stuff into my room when one of my things fell on his head.'

Coach Sakaki raised an eyebrow. His entire being seemed to shout at Isabel, "what a blatant lie". She blushed and looked down. If there was anyone who could make her cower like a child, it was her uncle. Oshitari raised an eyebrow and went back to the rest of the regulars.

"So? What happened to coach?" Gakuto asked, jumping up and up and up.

"He was helping Isabel move in and in the process one of her things dropped on his head." His voice was dripping in skepticism, and everyone picked up on it. Shishido, however, also picked up on the conversation that Oshitari and Isabel had... in English.

And to think that she actually speaks Japanese really well.

XXXXX

Bam!

The ball wasn't going fast enough.

Bam!

Not fast enough for him.

Bam!

It has to be faster.

Bam!

Faster.

Bam!

Faster. Faster.

Bam!

Faster. Faster. Faster.

Bam!

The ball flew past Shishido's ear. It left another crack on the wall, this time larger than the last. The ball was now behind him, caught within the branches of a bush. Shishido walked over to it and kneeled down, putting his arm in the bush to search for the tennis ball.

"Do you always let the ball fly past you like that?"

Shishido stiffened a bit.

"Hello? Shishido-san?"

Shishido turned his head to see Isabel kneeling beside him, smiling. He blushed, or maybe Isabel just imagined that part, and turned back to search for the tennis ball in the bush.

"I don't usually miss that much," he said, embarrassed. "I don't usually put cracks in the wall either." He heard her chuckle. It was an endearing sound, one that was almost delicate.

"Do you need any help?" she offered, walking over to the other side of the bush. Without getting an answer, she bent down and reached into the bush. Within a few seconds, she was bringing the tennis ball over to Shishido. "Here."

Shishido accepted it and started to practice again.

"Do you mind if I stay to watch?"

Shishido hesitated in his answer for a moment. No one really wanted to stay with him besides the other regulars. After a satisfying hit, he answered. "No, I wouldn't mind," bam "as long as you tell me some things." Bam.

"Sure! What is it?" Isabel said cheerfully, while taking a seat in a spot that was out of the way of his practice.

Bam. "How did Coach really get that bruise?" Bam.

"Oh, that…" Isabel looked down and twiddled with her fingers. "We were playing a tennis match and I may have hit his head…"

"What?" Bam.

"Well, I didn't expect that my aim would be _that _off since I stopped practicing."

Shishido could hardly believe his ears. His coach's bruise was due to the delicate girl sitting near him? He pushed it off to the side before asking, "Does Oshitari know that you speak Japanese, or at least understand it?"

"No," Isabel admitted. "I don't want to sound mean but… I like it when he fumbles over his words. Seeing him struggle is one of the few highpoints of my day."

Shishido nodded. Bam. He wasn't sure how to take this information, but nonetheless, he was practicing. He noticed that she was comfortable with the silence he left, even if it meant she was just sitting there.

She watched, and he practiced, and there were no words needed to fill the space


	4. Choosing a Club: Part I

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis stuff.**

**Sorry for the wait. You know… writer's block.**

**Please review!**

**Kthnxbye.**

Choosing a Club Part I [Chapter Four]

Oshitari was nervous. He hated being called to the student council's office. He hated the look of his captain's face when he entered the student council's office. He was only ever called when something involving the tennis team… or when Atobe needed him to do some dirty work. It was mostly the latter.

He took a deep breath before he knocked the door.

"You can come in."

Oshitari entered gracefully and took a seat in front of Atobe. "You needed me?"

Atobe, who was filling out some forms for the tennis club, spoke. "Who did you leave Isabel to for this period?"

Oshitari raised an eyebrow. "Chotarou."

Atobe smirked. "And how did she take it?"

Thinking back, Oshitari tried to remember how Isabel reacted. "She seemed upset, but then she put on that smile of hers that she uses before she sneaks off."

"And you realize that she takes off after she smiles like that?"

Oshitari shrugged. "She never gets in trouble. She's probably just taking a nap in a classroom."

"Find her and bring her to the office," Atobe instructed, "there's something I have to talk to her about."

XXXXX

'So what do you want to do?' Isabel asked cheerfully.

"U-umm… sorry, I have no idea what you're saying," Chotarou replied honestly.

'Wait, you don't know English?' Isabel said, just to verify. Chotarou gave a nervous smile as a reply. Isabel cast a glare downwards. _I'm going to kill Oshitari. Sure I understand Japanese but he doesn't know that, _she thought bitterly. "Chotarou, would it be better if I spoke Japanese?"

Chotarou was surprised. "You can speak Japanese?"

"Yes."

"But Coach–"

"Please don't tell him I can speak Japanese. I want to surprise him once I get rid of my stupid accent."

"Does Oshitari know?"

"No, and neither does Atobe for that matter."

Chotarou thought for a moment. He could ignore the fact that she spoke Japanese. She probably had a reason to keep in from them. "Ne, Isabel."

She perked up. "Yes?"

"Would you mind helping me with biology work? We could go to the library."

"Sure!"

XXXXX

Oshitari almost couldn't believe his eyes. Chotarou actually managed to keep Isabel in one place for the entire time he was gone. She was sitting in the library, looking over a biology textbook with a Japanese-English dictionary in her hands. Right next to her was Chotarou, labeling a diagram of a flower.

'You're actually here. What a surprise,' Oshitari said bitterly.

'And you're a jerk, leaving me here with someone who doesn't understand English,' Isabel spat back.

Ignoring Isabel, he turned over to Chotarou. "Did she cause you any trouble?"

Chotarou shook his head. "She was actually very helpful once we got a Japanese-English dictionary."

_Wow, Chotarou's a good actor, _Isabel thought, _he's playing off the fact that I speak Japanese better than I am._

Oshitari sighed. 'Atobe wants to see you in the student council office.'

'But I don't want to,' Isabel groaned. 'What does he even need to talk about anyway?'

Shrugging, Oshitari answered, 'I never asked.'

Isabel agreed grudgingly and cleaned up the books that she brought out. She waved goodbye to Chotarou before leaving the library, following silently behind Oshitari.

XXXXX

"Atobe, I brought Isabel here," Oshitari called, entering the student council office.

Isabel followed hesitantly and closed the door behind her. She turned to the two boys who were already sitting down and waiting for her. 'What exactly did you need, Keigo?'

Atobe twitched, accustomed to being called by his surname. 'I wanted to know what you think about the tennis team.'

"That's not–" Oshitari tried to squeeze out, but he was quickly hushed by his captain.

'The boys' team or the girls' team?' Isabel asked.

'Let's start with the boys' team.' Atobe replied,

'Your team is very impressive,' she started. 'The boys have good form that seems natural to them, they all seem to want their spots as a regular, and they are confident in their abilities.'

'Now the girls' team?' Atobe probed. Oshitari was growing ever more curious as to what his captain was doing.

'To be honest... it's a bit of a joke,' Isabel squeaked out. 'They only seem to want to be there to be with their friends. I mean, umm, that's not a bad thing, but they aren't focused on tennis.'

'Hmm, so you wouldn't want to join the girls' tennis team?' Atobe asked.

'No, not really,' Isabel admitted. 'Maybe if they put more effort into it then I'd consider it more but…'

Oshitari clicked his tongue. "Cocky little…"

"Oshitari, watch your language."

"She doesn't even understand what I'm saying!" Oshitari caught himself before saying anything that he would regret later. _Too late now…_

Isabel's eye twitched. It was getting harder to keep them under the impression that she didn't speak Japanese. She couldn't even remember how she was able to tolerate Oshitari for so long. She irritated him, he badmouthed her in Japanese. _I wonder what the look on his face would be like if I talked back to him right now. _

Isabel was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when Atobe drummed his fingers against the desk. 'Would you consider training with us?'

Her eyes widened. 'Us? You mean, with the boys?'

Practically jumping out of his seat, Oshitari sputtered, "Atobe, what on earth could you be thinking?"

Atobe hushed Oshitari with a grin. 'What do you think?'

'Sorry, but no.'

'Oh? Okay then,' Atobe said, waving her off. 'You have one week to turn in a club form. The school requires you to be in one, and I thought it'd be interesting if you joined tennis.'

'Thank you for the offer,' Isabel responded in an apologetic tone, 'I'll get a club form to you as soon as possible.'


	5. Choosing a Club: Part II

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis things.**

**Kthnxbye.**

Choosing a Club Part II [Chapter Five]

"Shishido-san?"

A tennis ball flew through the air and collided against a wall. Shishido wasn't as surprised as the first time Isabel came to see him practice. It was almost normal, comfortable even. Tennis balls still went past him, and there was still the silence that surrounded him, but she was there.

"Shishido, why do you play tennis?"

_Damn, she's still asking questions like that_. "I enjoy it."

"What if someone took tennis away from you?"

_I haven't been asked that since_... "I don't know."

The silence enveloped them. Isabel continued to watch as Shishido got the tennis ball to hit the same spot, over and over again. She sat still on the ground captivated, mesmerized by the ball. It had a rhythm, gradually getting faster.

"Ne, Shishido," she said. "What other clubs did you consider when you were a first year?"

"Hmm?" Shishido hit the ball with the sweet spot of his racket. "Just tennis, although I was a little annoyed when I first heard Atobe was joining too."

"Was he bad?" Isabel asked. It was the first time she'd heard of anyone hating Atobe. It was almost as if he was the school's hero.

Shishido shook his head as he hit the ball once more. "No, Atobe has talent beyond what I imagined. He was just so… arrogant."

Isabel giggled. "Yeah, I could see that." She looked over to the cracks in the wall. "What about Oshitari?"

"Oh, him. He was amazing too." Shishido thought back fondly to that first match Oshitari and Atobe had. "Gakuto and I were hoping to see someone beat Atobe, since he just beat the both of us and the senpai. Oshitari stepped in just a little while after that. They had a close match and it was almost on another level. We couldn't believe we had two tennis players as good as them coming to Hyotei."

"You couldn't believe it? Shouldn't you have heard the name?"

"Atobe was in England so he was in the Euro-Circut. Oshitari, well, I guess he just didn't like tournaments," Shishido explained. "If you're into tennis, why haven't you heard of Atobe before?"

Isabel sat still. That was something that hadn't hit her until Shishido said it. Atobe must have been doing very well in the junior matches for him to beat the regulars before him too. She thought hard for some connection in her brain.

_Keigo... Atobe... Keigo... Keigo..._

Something clicked in her head. "He's that kid!"

Shishido, shocked by her sudden outburst, hit the ball at an odd angle, letting it zip by next to him.

"Oops," Isabel said getting up. "Sorry. I'll get that."

She walked into the shrubs to pick up the tennis ball. She returned it with an embarrassed smile and another apology.

Sitting on the ground, she was left with her thoughts. Keigo Atobe, the boy who went from the bottom of the class to the top of the world. His personality was so different from then she couldn't even recognize him. Her thoughts crowded her mind, as the rhythmic bouncing of the tennis ball resounded again and again.

XXXXX

Chotarou and Shishido sat on the rooftop, having lunch. Shishido bit into his cheese sandwich as read from his geometry textbook. He heard the door the the roof open and Chotarou greet someone, but he didn't look up. He was busy memorizing his theorems.

"Hello Chotarou," replied a familiar voice. It was bright and full of energy. "Hello Shishido."

He lifted his head to return the greeting. Isabel was waving at the two as she walked over. She held her books in her other arm. Some of her folders had various papers hanging out. She smiled and sat down on the bench next to Chotarou.

"Ne, Isabel. Won't Oshitari come looking for you again?"

"I don't think so," she answered. "Not unless Atobe sends him. I think he stopped looking for me a while ago."

Shishido chuckled. "Wouldn't it be easier if you just told him where you were?"

Isabel pouted. "That wouldn't be any fun." She let the boys finish their lunch before asking, "Do you think I should join the tennis team?"

They seemed surprised. "Yeah, go for it," Chotarou said. "It's a lot of fun."

Shishido nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and the girls' team would definitely accept you with open arms."

Isabel smiled and thanked the two boys, who were going down to practice tennis together.

She looked down to her papers and scrawled her signature across the bottom of one.

XXXXX

'Keigo, I want to train with you.'

'Really now?' Atobe made a big show of receiving her papers. 'What made you change your mind?'

Isabel shrugged. She left the student council office to get to her next class.

"Isabel Sakaki, I can't wait to see how much you've grown since then."


	6. A Match with the King

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis things.**

**Reviews please?**

**Kthnxbye.**

A Match with the King [Chapter Six]

Shishido was stunned. Not only was Isabel participating on the boys' tennis team, but she was also challenged to a match by Atobe himself. All the members gathered around the courts to watch the match.  
Isabel was wearing navy blue athletic shorts and a grey t-shirt, which was completely different than the girls' team's brown skirt and white shirt. She wore tennis shoes that were old and faded, although it was probably once a bright and vivid red color. Her eyes were covered by a black baseball cap that let her pony tail out. She held a thin racket in her hand and she waited at the end of the court.  
Atobe was being his usual flashy self, listening to the Hyotei chant as he walked onto the court. He snapped his fingers signaling the end, but he didn't end it with his usual "the winner will be me".  
"Shishido," Gakuto said, popping up next to him, "Why is buchou challenging Coach Sakaki's niece?"  
Shishido just shook his head. "As if I know, I barely understand what Isabel is doing here today. The girls practice tomorrow."  
Gakuto turned over to Oshitari, who had a stern look on his face. "Oshitari, do you know?"  
He didn't get an answer. Oshitari remained silent as he watched the match. There was certain intensity in his eyes.  
'Isabel,' Atobe said, 'It's been a while since I last had a match with you.'  
'Yeah, it has.' Isabel set herself up at the baseline. 'I'm amazed that you remember.'  
'How could I forget the first person to beat me to a pulp?' Atobe said as he made a swift and quick serve.  
"Wow, Atobe's not holding back," Gakuto marveled as Isabel returned the ball.  
Shishido caught a vague disturbance in Oshitari's eyes. "Oshitari, what did Atobe say just now?"  
"'How could I forget the first person to beat me to a pulp,'" Oshitari translated. His eyes were glued to the match. Everyone's were.  
"Out! Fifteen-love."  
'Tsk, my aim has gotten really off.' Isabel took a couple practice swings before setting herself up at the baseline again. 'You really aren't the same weak boy that I played.'  
Atobe smirked and sent another serve over to her.  
"Is that–?"  
"The Tannhauser Serve."  
The ball hit the ground and rolled quickly behind Isabel. She whistled before setting herself up again.  
'Keigo, show me that serve again.'  
"Thirty-love."  
'Of course, I want to see you break this serve.'  
Atobe sent another serve over and Isabel dashed forward, hoping to hit it before it reached the ground. She was too slow by just a second, but it zoomed past her nonetheless. Isabel clicked her tongue.  
"Forty-love."  
'Once more, please Keigo?'  
Atobe smiled. 'You better get it this time. You beat me last time, and I want a fight this time.' Atobe gave one more Tannhauser serve and Isabel dashed forward once more. She felt the racket come in contact with the tennis ball and lobbed it over the net.  
'Tsk, you're going easy on me Keigo.'  
Atobe laughed and returned the ball quickly. It had so much speed it almost disappeared.  
"Too slow," Oshitari commented, as Isabel returned it with a quick backhand.  
The rally was impressive. They pushed each other to the corners if the court and wouldn't let the ball get past them.  
"Someone better attack soon." Shishido frowned.  
As if on cue, Isabel dashed to the net to volley. Atobe read her movements and hit a lob over her head.  
'I expect you to get that, Isabel.'  
She smiled and jumped upwards to perform a smash. It hit the ground and didn't bounce up as Atobe expected. Instead, it did a tiny hop before rolling slowly to his feet.  
"Are you not going to call that, sir?" Atobe asked, setting up his next serve.  
"F-forty- fifteen."  
Atobe initiated another rally. He returned the ball and Isabel returned it with a backhand. He smiled. From that position it'd be too late to reach the next one. He hit the ball over to one of her blind spots.  
And it landed just over the net.  
On his side.  
"What just happened?" Chotarou asked Oshitari.  
"Coach Sakaki's niece..." Gakuto started.  
"Teleported," Shishido said, finishing Gakuto's thought.  
"Forty- thirty."  
Isabel whispered something underneath her breath.  
'Ahn? Did you say something?'  
A slow smile spread across Isabel's face. 'Nothing that matters.'  
Atobe raised an eyebrow and sent another serve over to Isabel. She returned it with ease, but she was stuck in a position that gave her a blind spot. Atobe pinpointed the next shot to that blind spot.  
Yet it still landed on his side.  
"Deuce!"  
"She teleported again," Chotarou mused.  
'Hey, Isabel.'  
Isabel turned to Atobe.  
'What do you call that move?'  
She grinned. "Madoushi no Himitsu*," she said, in perfect Japanese.  
Oshitari scowled. "That brat actually did know Japanese."  
"There's no more accent..." Chotarou thought aloud.  
Shishido nodded and kept his eyes on the match.

But all Atobe could do was laugh. "Oh, fun. Show me again." Atobe served again, and Isabel caught up to it quickly. _There are holes in your tennis,_ Atobe thought as he returned the ball, _I can see them all._

In Atobe's mind, blocks of ice fell around Isabel. He pinpointed one of them and returned the ball there.

"Advantage, server."

"World of Ice," Oshitari explained, although he was sure all of the players have seen this technique before.

"Ne, Atobe," Isabel said. She almost giggled when she saw him sigh from relief of being called Keigo since she met him. "I hear you've creamed many of the other players in your school."

An arrogant smile spread over his lips. "Is that so?"

An equally arrogant smile reached Isabel's lips. "I want you to actually try. You wanted a fight after all."

_Finally,_ Atobe thought, _someone with a sense of fun._

XXXXX

"Game and match: Atobe. Seven games to five."

Isabel almost wanted to collapse right there, but it would be rude to not shake hands with your opponent after a match. She walked over to the net, pain coursing through her legs with each step, and reached her hand out to Atobe.

"Good game."

Atobe accepted it and Isabel realized he was sweating just a bit. "You did well," he said with a smile.

"I guess I didn't get you to go all out," Isabel chuckled.

Atobe seemed to choke on his worlds. "Well, I–"

Isabel giggled. Training with the boys didn't seem as bad as she first thought.

*Translates as "Magician's Secret"


	7. Nighttime

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis stuff. **

**Sorry for messing with the timeline. I was trying to keep it linear but I couldn't remember which arc came before the others. Sorry again. **

**Kthnxbye. **

****Nighttime [Chapter 7]

The sun sank down in the sky. Many kids were returning from the street tennis courts. Isabel stayed to watch the others who were still there. She didn't have to be home for another twenty minutes, so it would be okay to watch part of a match. She recognized some kids who were there the nights before. They grouped into different doubles pairs and began their matches.

Isabel loved watching matches here. In a regular tournament a player wouldn't try out any new moves lest they mess up. Here, when the stress of an entire team was lifted, the players would experiment with new serves, volleys, and smashes. Everyone had fun, even if they didn't do so well. Street tennis was supposed to be fun.

Two boys were just arriving. Isabel looked at them. One of them was much taller than the other, and they both carried prideful demeanors. They weren't people who came here regularly, but they seemed excited to play. One of them caught her looking at them and waved. The pair came closer to them.

"Hey, do you know if this place charges?" the taller one asked.

"No, it's free."

"Awesome! Echizen, we can play here!"

"Are you two planning on playing each other?" Isabel asked.

The shorter one responded. "Is there a problem?"

Isabel smiled at the sass in the young boy's voice. "This place is for doubles matches only." She relished it the moment that the boys' faces fell.

The taller one was very spirited though. He put back an excited face and turned over to the younger boy named Echizen. "Alright! We'll play a doubles match then!"

"Senpai, how is this going to help–"

"Don't worry, let's just play. Thank you for the information, miss." The pair took off to the court.

-This should be interesting.-

The two played very well. They had moves Isabel hadn't ever seen executed before. The younger boy had amazing techniques. The older one had interesting smashes. She watched in awe, but quickly noticed some holes in their play.

So did another pair.

"Hit one right down the middle," a player instructed his partner.

After nodding, the server hit an easy shot between the other two. The two boys both chased after it. Their rackets met in the middle and they collided.

Isabel smiled. There was no way they could win if they couldn't function as partners.

She gathered her books and started the lonely walk home.

XXXXX

'Uncle, I'm home!'

Isabel's uncle sat on the couch, reading some book. 'Welcome back.'

'I have a surprise for you!' Isabel walked over to the couch her uncle was sitting on and looked at him. "I can speak Japanese now!"

The sudden switch took Sakaki off guard. He looked up from his book and at his niece who was smiling brightly. He patted her lightly on the head. "That's wonderful." He turned back to his book.

"You're so boring, Uncle." Isabel stood up to go to her room. "I'm going to do homework now."

Sakaki gave her a gesture which she took to mean "go ahead" and she nodded.

Isabel closed the door behind her and slumped on the floor. She looked over at her homework and groaned. Japanese literature was probably her new worst subject, and she had at least two essays to do in that class. Her books were littering the floor and her papers were spilling from her bag. She tossed her coat off to the side and sat down on the floor. She grabbed her Japanese Lit. Book and leafed through it. She had to read _The Tale of Heike_ and write an essay on character development.

She could hear her uncle on the phone in the living room. His voice gave her a sense of peace.

XXXXX

"Otouto, what do you need?"

"I just wanted to check up on you. Is my daughter causing any trouble?"

"No, of course not." There was a loud crash on the other end of the line, followed by a silence. Sakaki grimaced at the sound of metal clashing. His brother was always one to make a mess of things. "Otouto, are you okay?"

"What?" Sakaki's brother shouted into the phone. "Of course I am. It's just that the damned fan decided to collapse."

"You truly are an idiot sometimes."

"That right there, Tarou, is why I hate you."

"You trust your daughter with someone you hate?"

"Like I care."

Those three words seemed to cut through Sakaki. He gave a polite and quite "goodbye" before shutting the phone.

He looked over to Isabel's shut door and hoped that his brother's shouting wasn't heard from her room.

XXXXX

Isabel's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten in a while, but she didn't want to bother her Uncle for food. She walked silently out of her room and out by the couch. Her uncle was still sitting there, reading a book about music theory.

"Uncle, what would you like me to make for dinner?"

Sakaki looked up. His niece smiled brightly at him. "Anything's fine."

Isabel's bright smile turned to a bored expression. "White rice and salmon."

As Isabel walked to the kitchen, Sakaki sighed and looked to the window. The moon's light was almost completely hidden by the trees. It was beautifully boring. He put his book down and stood up. "Isabel, let me help."


	8. Help

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis stuff.**

**Sorry for the late update and short chapter but I had some physics classes to take so… yeah… Reviews please?**

**Kthnxbye.**

Help? [chapter eight]  
Isabel was learning more kanji characters in the library. She learned how to speak in Japanese but mastering Kanji would take a lifetime. She looked over at the book in her hand to figure out the stroke order, and it was very hard. She saw a shadow come over her and looked up. Shishido had a stubborn expression and Chotarou seemed apologetic, gently nudging his partner towards Isabel.  
"Yes?"  
Chotarou laughed. "Isabel, Shishido isn't doing so well in English. He has an exam coming up."  
Isabel caught the gist and smiled devilishly. She turned her gaze over to Shishido who was silently fuming and looking to the side. "And?"  
Shishido felt a nudge from Chotarou and sighed. "Will you help me study English?" Shishido mumbled incomprehensibly.  
"What ?"  
Chotarou nudged him again. He took a deep breath and spoke, this time slowly. "Will you help me study for the English exam?"  
Isabel giggled. "Sure. When are you free?"  
Shishido, glaring evilly at Chotarou, said through gritted teeth, "Any time after tennis practice is over."  
Isabel thought for a moment. "Sure, we can study at my house, once I get permission. I'll tell you if I can after practice."  
Shishido grunted a "thank you" and left the library. Chotarou smiled at Isabel.  
"Sorry he was being so grumpy. He's just super stubborn. Thanks for helping out."  
Isabel waved at Chotarou as he left the library. She turned back to the book in her hands and practiced.  
XXXXX  
"Shishido."  
Shishido turned his head to Isabel. "Yes?"  
"You can come over to my house tonight. Is that okay with you?"  
"Yeah," Shishido exclaimed. "That'd be awesome, thanks"  
"Oh," Isabel said, remembering something. "I have tools a quick stop on the way home though."  
Shishido thought it was weird for her to be apologetic, since she was helping him out. She was already going out of her way to ask her parents to let her bring him over to her house. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm in no rush."  
She smiled. "Wonderful! Anyway, Atobe assigned me to help the first-years with volleys, so I should get going now."  
Isabel left Shishido to do what she had to for the club activities. He located his captain to ask what he had to do and was sent to help some second-years with smashes.  
Practice was long and not overbearingly hard, but tomorrow Atobe promised practice matches. He said that everyone, including the first years, would participate in the matches or else they would run laps until the matches were done.  
After the announcement, Shishido and the others went to the changing rooms. He later found Isabel who was now dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt she gathered her things and lead Shishido away from the courts.  
"Bye, Isabel," Atobe said, waving her off. She smiled and waved back at him.  
"See you tomorrow, Shishido, Isabel." Jirou was still half asleep as he spoke. He smiled when Isabel waved goodbye to him too.  
Oshitari was still cold to Isabel. He stayed silent as they left.  
They walked off in silence. Both of them made no attempt in conversation. Isabel led them to a bus stop that wouldn't come for another ten minutes.  
"What is your exam on?"  
"Talking about your family life, but my life is super lame."  
Isabel laughed. "Don't worry; a lame life is easier to talk about."  
The conversation continued on in the bus. They discussed the curriculum and what the teacher actually covered in the exam. They talked more on the bus than all of their past conversations combined. It changed from the exam's contents to the practice tournament the next day.

"I hope I get to play Oshitari. Atobe says it should be an interesting match," Isabel exclaimed.  
"Atobe recommended that you play Oshitari?"  
Isabel nodded with a smile on her face. "He said that Oshitari would be a 'delightful challenge' for me." She paused for a while. "Atobe has changed since we were kids."  
Shishido looked over at Isabel. "How was Atobe like when he was younger?"  
Isabel chuckled. "He wasn't good at tennis, for one thing. He was also really timid. Really really timid."  
"A-Atobe?!"  
Isabel smiled sweetly. "Yeah, he was. That's why I almost didn't recognize him."  
Shishido sat back in his seat. It was hard to imagine Atobe being shy. He couldn't really even imagine him not being arrogant. It was part of Atobe to be arrogant.  
The bus approached its last stop. Isabel exited and immediately went for the back roads. Shishido followed her to an old shop. She turned in sharply.

Bells rang as the two entered the shop. An old man was sitting next to a neat pile of tennis rackets. He sat on the floor, restringing a red racket slowly. He looked up to Isabel and smiled.

"Your racket in in there," he said, nodding over to the pile.

Isabel smiled and walked over to pick up a black racket. "Thank you!" They left the shop promptly after paying. Isabel smiled at Shishido. "Sorry for that little deviation."

"Oh, no problem at all. So you're going to help me not fail this test right?"

"Yep!"


	9. Learning English

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis things.**

**Gah, this is such a short chapter. Sorry guys. I just felt like I had to make up for my long break between updates. Reviews please?**

**Kthnxbye.**

Learning English [chapter nine]

"Tadaima!"

"Okaeri."

Shishido and Isabel walked into the house and removed their shoes by the door.

_That voice… it couldn't be… _

"Uncle, Shishido's here!" Isabel called in.

_This is Coach Sakaki's home!?_ Shishido panicked for a moment. His coach was sitting on the couch reading a book. _Does he look angry? Did he know I was going to be here? I didn't know she lived with her uncle!_

"Hello Shishido."

"Hello coach." He responded.

Isabel started walking. "Uncle, we'll be in the dining room, okay?"

He nodded and looked back to his book. Shishido followed Isabel to her dining room. It wasn't extravagant, as he expected his uncle to be. A simple wooden table with two fold-up chairs placed awkwardly beside it sat underneath a small ceiling lamp. Isabel claimed a seat and brought out some paper. She looked over to Shishido.

"Well? Show me your textbook."

Shishido nodded and sat next to her, pulling out his English textbook from his bag. Isabel took it and flipped through the pages.

'Oh god it's American English,' she said to herself.

"What?"

Isabel caught herself. "Sorry, I was just commenting. What unit are you on?"

"Four."

Isabel flipped through quickly and found four. "Let's begin!"

XXXXX

'I tennis every day.'

'I _play_ tennis every day,' Isabel corrected. She did so gently. No one really should be that picky, but her inner grammar police sprang out.

'I play tennis every day.'

'What do you do after tennis?'

Shishido thought for a moment. 'I run?'

"Was that a question?"

'I run.'

'Where?'

'I run around my neighborhood park.'

Isabel giggled at his accent. It was like hearing her uncle speak in English for the first time. That was about seven years ago. "Okay, now try writing all of that."

"Isabel, we've been working forever. I feel bored just sitting here," Shishido complained, not expecting her to do anything about it.

"Write at least three paragraphs and I'll make something to eat," Isabel instructed. She walked over to the living room. "Uncle, what do you want for dinner tonight?"

"Anything's fine."

"Have you ever tried phở?" she asked.

"No…" he responded tentatively, "I don't think I ever have."

"Well, you're trying something new tonight then!"

"You sure you can make it?" Sakaki tried to keep his voice from showing worry.

"Yes uncle, I'm sure. I've made it a ton of times back in England." She walked back to the kitchen to start the dish.

She was finished fairly quickly (considering how long it takes to cook) and brought bowls of phở over to Shishido and then her uncle. She sat back down next to Shishido. He was almost done writing his third paragraph. As he finished the last sentence, Isabel snatched up the paper.

"Wait-!" Shishido said, trying to grab it back from her.

"Eat while I read it."

"But-"

"Eat."

Shishido grumbled a protest while pulling the bowl closer to him. "Itadakimasu."

Isabel read it, trying to suppress the urge to turn "color" into "colour" and other various differences between British English and American English. She tapped a red pen against the table. Shishido watched in fear that she would be crossing out and circling many things with that red pen. Isabel twiddled with it. She marked off some things, wrote little notes on the side, and circled some words. She looked at one word for a long time.

"Is there something wrong?"

Isabel jumped. "Umm… what exactly are you trying to say over here?" She pointed to a sentence on the paper.

Shishido mumbled a reply.

"Hmm?"

"I have an older brother who I play videogames with."

Isabel thought for a moment, scratched out his sentence and rewrote it in red pen. 'I play videogames with my older brother,' she said as she wrote it out. "It's easier to explain like that."

Shishido took the paper from her and looked at it. There weren't as many mistakes as he had anticipated. He looked at her swirly letters and matched them to his work. "Now what?"

Isabel smiled. "Fix your mistakes by writing them correctly on a separate sheet of paper… ten times each?" She thought for a moment. "Yeah, ten times seems about right."

Shishido sighed, pulling out a new piece of paper. Murmuring under his breath, Isabel caught snippets of his work. 'Mother… tennis… school…'

Isabel, clearly impressed by his work at the end, gave Shishido a light pat on the head. "It's getting late; I think your parents want you home."

Nodding, Shishido packed his stuff. Isabel saw him off at the front door, giving a small wave to him as he walked off.

"Isabel," her uncle called. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out there."

"Okay, uncle."

**Author's note: Phở is a Vietnamese noodle dish and it's absolutely delicious. If you ever have a chance to try it, you should. **


	10. Practice Tournament: Part I

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis things.**

**Sorry for the late update, schoolwork is killing me… ;(**

**Author's note: Okay, obviously a girl can't sign up for the boys' team so here is the explanation of all the logistics in Isabel's case. Isabel turned in an application for the girls' team, but since Atobe offered her the chance to train with the boys, she agreed. After turning in the form, Atobe asked the girls' team coach to let Isabel train with them so it could fit Isabel's schedule better. The girls' coach agreed. So that's the little background blurb that I hope cleared up some stuff. So like yeah. Reviews please?  
Kthnxbye.**  
Practice Tournament: Part I [chapter 10]  
Isabel was excited to be a part of Hyotei's practice tournament. If she was part of the top eight percent, she would be given a spot as a girls' regular. She wished she was on the boys' team, but _that_ would be impossible. Her uncle was hesitant enough to let her train with the boys. Even so, the school would probably be banned forever if they tried to sneak a girl into the line-up. She would still go to as many of the boys' tournaments as she could.

She went up to the board where the matches were listed. It was being held in standard direct elimination format. She was seeded seventy-fourth initially, so her first match would be against a first-year seeded one hundred eighty-third, then a first-year seeded fifty-fifth. Isabel won her first two matches without going all-out, although a couple tennis balls seemed to bounce in mid-air…

Isabel waited patiently for her third match. She would be going against a third-year named Haginosuke Taki. They had ten minutes between each match so Isabel would only have to wait a bit longer.

"Oi, Taki-senpai."

"Hmm?"

"Are you ready to play Isabel?" Chotarou took a seat next to his former double's partner. He smiled brightly, handing him a bottle of water.

"Of course I'm ready," he said, taking the water from Chotarou. "I want to play Oshitari." He took a long drink from the bottle.

Chotarou laughed. "You'd have to beat me first, senpai."

Haginosuke looked up. "Oi, isn't someone getting a little cocky?"

The two laughed, waiting for the ten minutes to slowly dry up any worries they had beforehand. It was refreshing for the both of them, even if the tournament had no actual risks. Isabel, on the other hand, could feel herself become more and more nervous. She glanced over at the clock.

_Six minutes left,_ she thought as she stood. _That's about two laps around the athletics building._ She put her racket down on the bench and began her run.

XXXXX

Midway through her second lap around the building, she heard Shishido practicing against the wall. The rhythmic beating of the tennis ball against the wall slowed her down. She made the turn around the corner of the building. Shishido was training before his next match. Isabel smiled when she saw textbooks and flashcards on the ground beside him. The flashcards were the ones they made together when they were studying last night. She smiled and turned around to run back to the courts.

XXXXX

"Haginosuke vs. Sakaki. Haginosuke to serve."

Isabel set herself up at the baseline, leaning forward with her racket twirling in her hand. She watched the tennis ball fly up in the air before it was shot over to her side of the court. She leaped towards it, her arm pulling in for a backhand stroke. Her movement was seamless. Soon, the tennis ball began its rally.

Isabel and Haginosuke kept it up, neither willing to make the first move to attack. It was long and painfully boring to watch. Chotarou watched as they just allowed the rally to continue.

"Chotarou."

"Hmm?" Chotarou turned to see Oshitari, who had just finished his match a short while ago. Close behind him was Atobe.

"Did this match just start?"

"Yeah, it started just a little while ago," Chotarou explained.

Neither of the players seemed to attack. They both stayed at the baseline and rallied for what felt like forever. Unbeknownst to the audience, the trap was set, and the prey knew. The hunter had begun to make its move.

"The spin of the ball is interesting," Oshitari commented.

"It's alternating," mused Atobe.

"What?" Chotarou looked at them. "You mean it's like the 'spot'?"

"No," Oshitari began. "Rather than alternating between slices and top spins like the spot, it's spinning then stopping. Basically it's a combination of top spins and sinkers."

"How's that going to help?"

"We'll see," Atobe said. He watched the ball. It spun. It stopped. It could've just been a coincidence, but a sinker is a hard move to pull off. He caught Oshitari mumbling under his breath. He was able to make out three words.

"…ingenious little brat…"

And Atobe swore he saw Oshitari smile.

XXflashbackXX

'Oshitari-san! I'm so bored!'

'Isabel, would you shut up for a moment?'

'You're so mean to me.' Isabel frowned. 'Can't you be a little interesting?'

'Not while I'm doing homework.'

Isabel leaned over the library table to look at Oshitari's notebook. He quickly snapped it shut but that moment was enough to get Isabel something to pester him about. 'You're not even studying! You're doodling!'

'Lower your voice!' Oshitari said in a harsh whisper.

'Let me see!' Isabel reached over the library table to grab Oshitari's notebook, being barely quick enough to steal it from his grasp. She leafed through the pages while trying to keep the notebook away from its owner. 'You doodle tennis moves in your notebook?'

Oshitari couldn't help it now, she was already judging him. 'Yes, I draw tennis moves in my notebook.'

Isabel flipped through, observing them all more carefully. 'I like this one,' she said, pointing at one of his drawings. 'It's bouncing in the air.'

'Like that one could ever be possible,' Oshitari said, 'with no surface to bounce on, how can it change direction sharply?'

'You're no fun,' Isabel said, tossing his notebook back to him.

XXXXX

The ball sailed through the air in a swift arc. It was moving closer to the left side, as Haginosuke read perfectly. What he didn't see coming was that just before he hit the ball coming his way, it made a sharp turn to the side, bouncing on the ground softly.

"Love-fifteen."

"Ghost-bound."

XXXXX

"Game and match: Sakaki, score is three games to six."

Isabel won, but she felt like she could already see stars. "Nice game."

"You too," Haginosuke said, shaking her hand. "That move was cool, who taught it to you?"

"No one taught it, but Oshitari gave me the idea," Isabel admitted.

"Well, you may be playing him. That is, if you beat Chotarou."

"Ha, what are the chances of that?"


	11. Practice Tournament: Part II

**I do not own any Prince of Tennis things.**

**Hooray! I finished my work fairly early so now I can actually write. Now it's Chotarou's turn to play Isabel. Fun fun fun****. Also, I know Isabel hasn't been getting in much contact with Shishido but I promise I've got something planned for a later chapter. **Reviews please?

**Love you! Kthnxbye.**

Practice Tournament: Part II [chapter 11]

"Six more minutes, Sakaki-san," a student warned.

"I know, I know," Isabel said. She watched as Chotarou spoke to the other tennis regulars. Her eyes scanned the group and counted as she did so. "One, two, three, four, five, six." She scanned again, this time naming everyone she saw. "Chotarou, Hiyoshi, Atobe, Jirou, Kabaji, Gakuto…" she thought.

"Looking for someone?"

Isabel turned towards the voice and found Oshitari standing behind her. "Oshitari-san. Hey."

"Shishido's probably still practicing at the wall. The match he's waiting for is taking a long time," Oshitari explained. He waited for her to nod. He watched her gaze land on Chotarou once more. "You'd better not underestimate Chotarou, there's a reason he's a regular," Oshitari said, taking a seat on the bench next to Isabel.

"I'd expect so," Isabel drawled, unsure of what else to say. "Ne, Oshitari-san."

"Yeah?"

"Who would you rather play: Chotarou or me?"

Oshitari thought for a moment. "I'd like to play the better of the two, of course."

Isabel scoffed. "Nice way to avoid the question."

They both sat there, silently. Oshitari glanced down at his watch. "Three minutes left."

Isabel got up, grabbing her black racket. "I don't need it."

Oshitari smirked as she walked to the courts. "Brat."

XXXXX

"Sakaki versus Chotarou, Sakaki to serve."

Isabel did a small underhand serve, a low arc that just barely went over the net, yet it managed to get into the corner of the serving box. Chotarou was quick to get behind it and send a fast shot back at her. She took the ball again and let it fall in a low arc once more.

"What the heck is she doing?" Shishido said, appearing next to the court.

"Knowing the little brat, she's playing with him," Oshitari explained.

Atobe laughed. "Just as arrogant as when she was a child."

_Is Isabel trying to pull a new move?_ Chotarou thought._ I haven't ever seen her play like this._

_Chotarou, please make this game interesting for me,_ Isabel thought.  
The match drew many spectators, mostly first years that already lost to their seniors in the bracket. The boys stood around the court, eager to see new moves introduced in the match.  
"Is she okay?" Shishido asked.  
Atobe fell silent, watching Isabel return every ball weakly. He placed his fingers between his eyes. "So that's what you're up to..."  
Isabel's returns became weaker and weaker, up to the point that she hit mostly cord balls. Oshitari raised an eyebrow. "Idiot, tell me when you want to give up," he said, clicking his tongue.  
"What?" Shishido asked.  
Atobe moved his hand back to his side. "Her muscles are too tense, she'll give out soon."  
"What?" Shishido's voice barely a whisper. He leaned forward on the railing. "What the heck are you doing?"  
"That idiot..." Oshitari murmured.  
Isabel could feel her arm tense, but she also feel the speed of the ball go slower and slower. _Damn it, he caught on,_ Isabel thought. She let the ball slip past her without even going towards it. "Don't underestimate me, Chotarou," she stated, pointing her racket at him. "I don't take pity from anyone."  
Chotarou, although baffled, nodded and stood at the baseline of his side of the court.  
Isabel got ready to serve once more, this time going for an overhand serve. She winced unnoticeably as she brought her hand downward. _My arm should feel better about now,_ she thought. _Why does it hurt so much?  
_Afraid that Chotarou would go easy on her again, she hit quick returns back to his side. He didn't seem to go easy, however his face looked concerned.  
XXXXX  
"Game, Chotarou, three games to one. Change court."  
Isabel plopped down on the bench. Her arm looked fine, but it felt like it was on fire. She thought back to the multiple times it had happened to her before. It always went back to normal within a few minutes, so what was wrong with it now? She saw one of the regulars coming towards her; it was Gakuto. Shishido went over to Chotarou.  
"Lucky you, Isabel!" Gakuto said, sitting next to her. "You have the pleasure of having me as a bench coach for the rest of your match."  
Isabel laughed. "Ha, thanks."  
"No problem," Gakuto said. He gave Isabel a small punch on her right shoulder.  
"Itai!" Isabel shouted. "What was that for?" She rubbed her arm. After a few seconds, the pain was gone, along with the muscle ache from before. _What the heck?_  
"You're welcome," Gakuto said, winking as he got up from the bench to stand by the over regulars.  
_That was... interesting..._  
XXXXX  
A spectator could almost hear the ball whistle as it moved through the air. It went back and forth with unusual speed. Isabel kept pushing it. Faster. Faster. Faster.  
Finally, the Isabel did the same thing she did in that match with Atobe. She... teleported.  
"Chotarou's got her now," Gakuto said, popping a piece of bubble gum. "All he's got to do now is send a fast ball to her left."  
Which Chotarou did.  
The ball flew through the air. One could hear the ball bound on the court, and then run straight into the wall.  
The wall behind Chotarou.  
"Madoushi no Himitsu," Chotarou breathed.  
"Yosh!" Isabel shouted. "My attack has begun."

Isabel climbed up in her scores, but she was already too far back. She couldn't break his scud serve.

"Game, Isabel, three games to five. Chotarou to serve."

The serve didn't even give Isabel's eyes time to adjust to it. It was on Chotarou's side one moment and rolling at her feet the next. She concentrated, closing her eyes.

Bam. Another point lost.

Data tennis wasn't her thing, but a simple calculation was what she needed at the moment. _Just this once_, she promised herself.

She remembered Oshitari saying that the serve went at around 200 km/hr. That's about 56 m/s. A court is about 24 m. It would take about a half a second to get over to her side. She could deal with slight uncertainties later.

She only needed to worry about half a second.

Bam.

Isabel's racket came in contact with the ball and she managed to lob it over the net. Chotarou caught up to it and hit it back. Isabel had just broken the scud serve.

"That girl is a monster," Gakuto exclaimed.

"The word monster doesn't do her justice," Shishido said, watching the match unfold before him.

"An odd phenomenon is more like it," Oshitari offered.

"Isabel's like magic!" Jirou said. He was wide awake and excited. "Keigo! Please let me play her soon! Please?"

Atobe laughed. "Why don't you ask her tomorrow?"

"Un!"

"Isabel's like magic…" Shishido thought aloud.

XXXXX

"Game and match, Sakaki, seven games to six."

"Man, no wonder you did well against buchou," Chotarou said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That was fun, we should play more often."

"Thanks for the match!"

_She's magic indeed._


End file.
